Kilifi County gets a new police commander in police service changes as Tharaka Nithi DCI dies after collapsing

Kilifi County has received a new police commander in changes announced.

The deputy presidential escort commander Mr Wachira Mathenge was posted to the county to replace Mr David Kerina who has been acting as boss for six months. Kerina will go back to Kaloleni and continue as Officer Commanding Police Division (OCPD).

The changes come in the wake of the just concluded Malindi by-election in which police defied what they termed as illegal orders from politicians.

Police officers march at the Moi Sports Ground in Kisumu during Madaraka Day celebrations. Kilifi County has received a new police commander in changes announced.

Police were accused of refusing to take orders from their bosses in the area. Kilifi is a crucial operational area in the wake of terror threats.

Meanwhile, the Tharaka Nithi County head of Directorate of Criminal Investigations Simon Kilonzo has died. Kilonzo died after collapsing in office in what many claimed was a heart attack.

He died Friday morning as he was being taken to Isiolo before being flown to Nairobi for treatment.

Kilonzo was a trained bomb disposal expert and was among the first group of officers to get such specialised training. He was once the head of the Bomb Disposal Unit based at DCI headquarters before he was moved to Tharaka Nithi in 2015.

In other changes made the following officers were posted to new stations.

Kalicha Roba (Nyanza deputy regional coordinator), Benjamin Onsongo (OCPD Makueni), Moses Kikului (ASTU headquarters), Simon Rotich (OCPD Kangundo), Charles Ontita (Isiolo County Commander) and Lucas Ogaro (OCPD Mombasa Urban).

Meanwhile, there is uneasiness among many police officers over pending police changes and promotions.

The changes are crucial ahead of the coming general elections in 2017.